Phantasy Star Universe Hands-On

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Hacking through the first three missions of SEGA's neon-soaked RPG.

By Charles Onyett

Getting a good look at SEGA's upcoming RPG Phantasy Star Universe had eluded us until now. It's tough to get a feel for a game like this at E3 or a gaming event, where only an hour or so can be spent playing. Thankfully, we got a build in the office and are able to report on the first three story missions offered in the single player game. PSU promises a more robust single player portion than what was available in Phantasy Star Online. Though it may have far more narrative focus than PSO, it's still going to retain a similar battle system. In other words, with PSU, SEGA's retaining an entirely real-time battle system, and not returning to its old school roots on the Genesis. Even so, there's a certain amount of nostalgia to be derived from again seeing the word Meseta, Phantasy Star's currency unit.

The game plants a 17 year old human named Ethan Waber in the lead role. He's carrying some baggage associated with what are known as Guardians, protectors of the Guhral system where the action has so far taken place. As Ethan's hanging out with his sister, Lumia, in Clyez City, a hub of Guardian activity, there's a surprise attack by what are known as the SEED. These plant-like alien missiles descend upon the city, smashing everything to bits. Lumia gets lost behind a wall of debris, and the action begins as Ethan needs to rescue her.

So far the game's been very linear. Once Ethan's set free to roam about and battle monsters, it's a room to room progression. Occasionally he'll need to stop to pick up a key and open a locked door, but other than that it's merely a matter of defeating all the enemies in the room and moving forward. There are no random battles accompanied by a whooshing sound effect in PSU. Instead, enemies spawn into an area as soon as it's entered and players need to slam on their attack buttons to blast away their hit points.

Ethan starts off with a single glowing sword and gun combo, though we quickly found a slow-moving two handed blade. Later on we were able to find a more powerful two handed sword and a thrusting spear. A number of weapon sets can be assigned to a quick access menu that pops up at the press of a button. This makes it easier during the real-time combat to pop between armaments based on what's more effective. For each sword there is a basic three-swing combo. Pressing a button while wielding the one-hander and energy gun brings up the gun sights. Players can shoot from the third person over the shoulder perspective, or dial into first person mode for more accurate energy bursts.

Also accessible on the quick-access menu are power-ups, like the health restoring Monomate, that can be assigned to use when needed. During the course of the first mission goggles also becoming available that can be assigned and accessed just like the weapons and items. The goggles have a few different functions. By quick-equipping them and clicking into first person mode, it's possible to identify destructible objects in the environment. Only after they've been tagged by the goggles can they be destroyed, often yielding items like Monomate, weapons, armor, or synthesis materials. As the game progressed through the three missions, the goggles were incorporated more and more.

Since it's a real-time battle system, it's entirely up to the player to decide how to perform on the battlefield. It's possible to maneuver around and never be hit by enemies when choosing the long range gun approach. After making a quick swing of a sword and snagging an enemy's attention, it's a good idea to jet around behind them and unleash a full three hit combo where they can't retaliate. Damage readouts flash above enemy and squadmate heads as they take hits, so players will have an accurate idea of how much damage they're doing and absorbing. After foes are cut down, they frequently drop Meseta and various items, much like what can be found in the hidden and visible destructible environmental objects.